Hey, Mr. Spaceman
I've had the opportunity to chat with Neil deGrasse Tyson a few times, and after we were done, I felt like I slept through high school science. Tyson does nothing to hide that he's the smartest guy in the room, which should make for an interesting dynamic when he talks to such luminaries as Jimmy Carter and Norman Lear on his new talk show, "StarTalk," based on his podcast, which attempts to get people excited about the universe through pop culture. First guest: George "Oh My!" Takei. Yep, that ought to do it. 10 p.m. Monday, National Geographic Channel
Country's crown
Jason Aldean, Garth Brooks, Luke Bryan, Miranda Lambert and Florida Georgia Line battle it out for entertainer of the year during the "50th Academy of Country Music Awards." The winner gets a brand-new pickup truck. 7 p.m. Sunday, WCCO, Ch. 4
America's Mall
"The National Mall: America's Front Yard" takes viewers on a shopping spree through our beloved institution, stopping at some of our favorite stores and — what's that? There's another Mall, one that features something called the Lincoln Memorial? Huh. Learn something every day. 7 p.m. Tuesday, TPT, Ch. 2
Room for one more bite
It was a tearful shoot last week as Nina Dobrev filmed her final scenes as the torn-between-two-brothers Elena Gilbert on "The Vampire Diaries." Turns out that after six seasons, Dobrev was ready to move on to folks less complicated, like werewolves. 7 p.m. Thursday, WUCW, Ch. 23
Neal Justin
